Sponsors (2)
I'll give you the short version of this bill.
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Changes federal law so the Texas grid (ERCOT) and certain Texas entities come under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction, requires minimum electricity transfer capacity between ERCOT and neighboring grid regions with coordinated plans to build or upgrade transmission by January 1, 2035, raises the borrowing cap for the federal Transmission Facilitation Program, and directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to study cross‑border electric connections with Mexico and report within one year. It also defines key terms, requires FERC to run a technical conference to help affected parties comply, and requires project planning to prioritize grid‑enhancing technologies, use of existing rights‑of‑way and degraded lands, community and Tribal engagement, and registered apprenticeships and prevailing wages while preserving NEPA and Endangered Species Act reviews. The law directs FERC and the Electric Reliability Organization to adopt a reliability standard that sets minimum interregional transfer capacity and to require coordinated transmission plans to achieve those minimums. It increases available federal loan/borrowing authority for transmission financing and asks DOE to evaluate benefits, reliability, climate, and cost impacts of linking U.S. grids with Mexico and to identify high‑value project sites and modifications.
The bill strengthens and accelerates transmission expansion, regional coordination, and federal oversight to boost reliability and clean energy access, but does so at likely higher near‑term costs for ratepayers and taxpayers and with greater federal authority that can reduce local control and shift
General public (including households and businesses) will see stronger grid reliability and fewer outages because the bill raises minimum transfer capacities, requires coordinated regional planning, brings ERCOT partially under FERC oversight, and increases financing for transmission build‑out.
Households and businesses will gain greater access to renewable energy and potential long‑term emissions reductions because planning must expand renewable access and prioritize grid‑enhancing technologies and new transmission will enable more clean power delivery.
Construction workers and apprentices will get better pay and training because transmission projects require use of registered apprenticeship programs and prevailing wages, and apprenticeship definitions are aligned with existing federal standards.
Communities near polluted mining sites and other disadvantaged areas may get clearer eligibility for cleanup and targeted assistance because the bill defines 'abandoned mine land' to include contaminated watersheds and adopts an 'environmental justice community' definition that covers low‑income, communities of color, and Tribal communities.
Electric ratepayers and taxpayers may face higher costs because construction, prevailing wages, new compliance obligations, and the need to finance large transmission projects can raise bills and public spending.
Local governments, landowners, and Tribal communities could lose some control over siting and local procedures as the bill creates corridor designations, expands federal oversight, and streamlines approvals in ways that can limit local objections.
Bringing ERCOT under FERC jurisdiction and imposing new mandatory standards could trigger legal challenges, transitional uncertainty, and added compliance burdens that delay benefits and impose costs on utilities and customers.
Some coal‑impacted and rural communities may be left out of cleanup programs because the bill's 'abandoned mine land' definition explicitly excludes coal, potentially leaving certain polluted sites without coverage.
Designates the official short title of the Act as the "Connect the Grid Act of 2026."
Defines "abandoned mine land" as land, water, or watersheds contaminated or scarred by extraction, beneficiation, or processing of ores or minerals (may include phosphate but excludes coal).
Defines "brownfield site" by reference to the meaning in section 101 of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9601).
Defines "Commission" to mean the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Defines "Electric Reliability Organization" by reference to section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).
Federal agencies: FERC gains expanded jurisdictional authority and rulemaking tasks (technical conference, new reliability standard) and must coordinate with the Electric Reliability Organization. DOE gains responsibility for a cross‑border study and may consider corridor designations. Grid operators and utilities: ERCOT, neighboring grid operators (MISO, SPP), investor‑owned utilities, and transmission developers must plan and possibly build transmission to meet minimum transfer capacities, comply with new standards, and coordinate across regions. Transmission project financing: raising the Transmission Facilitation Program borrowing cap increases federal loan availability, potentially accelerating investment in long‑distance transmission projects. Labor and contractors: registered apprenticeship and prevailing wage requirements could raise labor standards and costs on covered projects, benefitting skilled workers but increasing project labor costs. Communities and landowners: expanded transmission construction may impact rural and Tribal lands; the law requires community and Tribal engagement and prioritizes use of existing rights‑of‑way and degraded lands to reduce new land impacts. Environmental regulation: projects remain subject to NEPA and ESA reviews, which may limit or shape timelines and siting choices. Electricity consumers: improved interconnection capacity can increase access to renewable resources and potentially improve reliability and competition, but build costs may affect rates depending on regulatory cost allocation and financing choices. Cross‑border effects: DOE’s study may lead to future policy changes or projects affecting utilities and regulators along the U.S.–Mexico border; stakeholders in both countries could be affected by subsequent implementation actions.
Modifies section 215 of the Federal Power Act to change the definition/content of reliability standard and add new requirements directing the Commission to order the ERO to propose minimum total transfer capability standards between ERCOT and neighboring regions, and related planning, prioritization, environmental review, and timelines; also strikes language in subsection (i)(2).
Amends the application language in section 201(b)(2) by changing a cross-reference from 'section 201(f)' to 'subsection (f)' in the first sentence, and by clarifying the second sentence to replace 'an electric utility or other entity' with 'any entity that is otherwise exempt under subsection (f)'.
Amends section 201(e) by striking text (exact text to be struck is indicated as deleted).
Amends section 212 by striking subsection (k), removing that provision from the statute.
Amends section 216 by striking subsection (k), removing that provision from the statute.
Amends section 217 by striking subsection (h) and redesignating subsections (i) through (k) as subsections (h) through (j), respectively.
Amends section 220 by striking subsection (f), removing that provision from the statute.
Section references the definition of 'brownfield site' from section 101 of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9601).
Section references the National Priorities List as defined in section 105(a)(8)(B) of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9605(a)(8)(B)).
Section defines 'registered apprenticeship program' by reference to the Act of August 16, 1937 and cites 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq. (the National Apprenticeship Act).
And 2 more affected sections...
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced March 3, 2026 by Edward John Markey · Last progress March 3, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced in Senate